Captain’s Guide

We will send you emails with information about everything that happens with your boat on our website: notifications, reminders, warnings and so on. Please check your email frequently.

Feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions, concerns, recommendations, or just need advice.

Let us know if you need help processing the security deposit. Depending on your policies, you can get a cash deposit or we can authorize a renter’s credit card for the required amount. Just make sure your renters are aware of the deposit policies before the trip.

For security reasons, we do not share your information or the renter’s information before a reservation is confirmed and paid.

How to handle a reservation:

You will receive an email when there is a reservation request from a renter.

Upon receipt of this email, you have 24 hours to either accept or decline the reservation. Please review all details of the reservation: dates, pick up and drop off times, number of passengers, special requests, payout, and other information.

If you have any concerns or questions before confirming, please contact us at support@boat.me.

If you decline the reservation at this stage, there are no penalties for you.

As soon as you accept a reservation, you will receive the renter’s contact information.

We will send your payout to you 24 hours after the beginning of the trip. Make sure you already have your payout method set; if you do not, we will send you a reminder.

How to cancel a reservation:

Canceling a reservation is the least-desired scenario for renters, because they may already have their plans set around the rental of your boat. But if you must cancel, please check our cancellation policybeforehand.

If you have problems with your boat, do not feel comfortable with your guests, or have concerns about a reservation for other reasons, please try to contact us first to find an alternative solution to canceling.

If your guests contact you to cancel their reservation because of the weather, please contact us at support@boat.me. Note: Only the captain can cancel a reservation because of the weather. In all other cases, renters have to cancel the reservation on their own.

How to make your trip incredible:

Make sure that your vessel is in good condition and is completely ready for a trip.

Contact your guests before arrival so that you are on the same page. They should know how to find you or your boat and be aware of your security deposit procedures.

On the day of departure, meet and greet your guests, show them around, allow them to get familiar with your boat, and give them instructions on boarding.

Maintain communication with guests while they are on board.

Be respectful and attentive; provide the best hospitality services you can.

Deliver guests back to land.

Make sure your guests feel that the trip went well.

Thank your guests and request for them to leave feedback about their experience.

How to create a best-selling listing:

Think about a good listing name and description.

Be creative, as this section will differentiate your boat from all the others. Tell why your boat is better, but be truthful; people may be disappointed if the provided info doesn’t match up with what they actually see.

In your description, try to be as specific as possible about rules, security deposit policies, and extra services you can provide (like catering, fishing rods, and so forth).

Give plenty of details.

Fill in as many fields as possible when listing your boat. While some renters won’t care about the power of your engine, others may consider this is the most important factor when deciding to choose your boat.

Take nice pictures!

Everybody loves pictures. Do not copy pictures from online, since renters are more likely to choose boats with real pictures. Take several photographs to showcase the best of your vessel, be it a kayak or a super yacht.

List your boat’s availability both hourly and daily.

If you don’t want your boat to be rented for only 2-3 hours, you can set the minimum hourly rental to any number. This option will give you greater exposure on our website. Many travelers looking to rent a boat for the whole day will still search in hourly, not just the daily section.

Check your pick-up instructions.

Make sure the pick up instructions (arrival time in advance to sign papers and listen to instructions on board as well) are clear and easy to navigate. Specify parking instructions if applicable. If the instructions have been changed, immediately notify renters and update your listing.

Keep up with the going rates.

This is a free market, so we advise you to navigate through other comparable offers and make sure your price is up-to-date and attractive.

Specify your requirements.

Make sure all allowances and prohibitions are listed (beverage policies, barefoot, etc).

If you have any special requirements for the renters, add them to your boat description.